DE 101 64 558 A1 describes an ignition switch used for starting or turning off a motor vehicle engine. The ignition switch is located near a steering column and has a body movably arranged in a housing. In addition, a switch body keeping the movable body movable and serving to detect a shift in the movable body is arranged in the ignition switch. Furthermore, there is a display element for displaying a status of the vehicle in the vicinity of the movable body. With such emission switches, the driver pushes the movable body into the housing with his finger thereby starting or turning off the engine via the switch. One disadvantage with such ignition switches is that they are not very user friendly because of the long insertion distance and the functioning of the complex mechanism can easily be disturbed by external environmental influences.